Stopping Nowhere
by black-kat11
Summary: Sequel to Finding My Voice. A prophecy has arisen about Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. But Draco disappears, and Hermione will stop at nothing to find him. Full summary inside.
1. A Firefly Without A Light

_**Summary**_: Sequel to Finding My Voice. Read that first! "After the defeat of Voldemort, Hermione doesn't speak. Her health deteriorates until... Just last summer, we defeated Voldemort, the Dark Lord, for the last time. I grew silent, collapsing into myself. My health fell so quickly that I was hospitalized at St. Mungo's. Many medi-wizards and witches from around the world came to me, but none could figure out what was wrong, until the day Draco Malfoy came in, and healed me miraculously. Shortly after, we found out that we were major parts in a prophecy that would change the course of our lives forever. A prophecy that told of a war to change the world.  
In short, Draco Malfoy saved me, and somewhere along the line, we fell in love.  
Now, he's gone. And I will stop at nothing to save him."

* * *

Chapter 1/./ A Firefly Without a Light

"Hermione?" I ignored Harry's voice behind me as I carefully levitated my trunk through the entrance hall. There weren't many students out, as curfew was approaching, but I didn't want to knock over a suit of armor. "Hermione?" I kept walking. "Hermione Jane! Stop ignoring me!" Sighing, I stopped and turned to face him. He almost flinched. I was aware of how haggard my appearance must have been, with deep circles under my eyes and my face returning to the gaunt thinness that it had once had.

"What is it, Harry James? And make it fast, I don't want to miss my train."

"T-train?" He faltered, and I almost laughed, the vague humor marking my face sardonically. "Where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here." Upon seeing the wilting look on his face, I sighed. Softly, I said, "Harry, I have to go. Draco is gone, you know? I have to... I can't tell you anything. I'm sorry. But I have to go. This time, you can't save me."

"I never really saved you anyway, did I?" He was hurt, I heard it in his voice. "What about NEWTs? What about graduation?"

"I've already taken my NEWTs, Harry. And I may return for graduation, if I can find the time."

"Will you write?"

"When it is safe." His face screwed up in a way that I recognized. He was confused and he was trying to figure out-

"Why are you acting like Voldemort's back, Hermione? I killed the bastard once and for all." Taking his arm, I stared into his green eyes.

"Harry, this is bigger than Voldemort. I can say no more. I have to go." I released his arm, and turned to leave, when I heard a whisper behind me.

"Be careful."

----- -----

Dumbledore had allowed me to use the Hogwarts Express to get to King's Cross and away from Hogwarts. It had no real use, as I had already tested and received my Apparition license, but for the sentimentality. It was the last ride on the Hogwarts Express that I would ever take. I wondered vaguely, as I watched the scenery pass by in a whir, if it was symbolic of my journey into womanhood.

Draco. Draco was gone. I was flung into memories by the rushing of the train. Years of name-calling, secret alliances, my hopes and dreams for the future, and Draco. He was out there somewhere, and no one knew if he was alive or dead. I supposed I would know, if only by a vague feeling, if something had happened to him. But there was nothing.

I had waited weeks, and weeks, for word of his whereabouts to come through Dumbledore. Endless days, restless nights, and still no word. I had stopped attending classes after Dumbledore had informed me that I could take my NEWTs early if I so wished. I spent every waking moment in the library, reading, absorbing. But I could not focus my attentions on any particular subject. Draco…

_The night before I left, a cold April night with the brightest stars I'd ever seen, I went into Draco's room to look for a book he had borrowed from me before… it happened._

_I could not find the book, but, upon looking at his desk, I found something more significant. A ring, and a note._

'_**My dearest Hermione,**_**' **_it read._

'_**I have waited for love a long time. As a Malfoy, I am not entitled to love. It does not come easily to us. But I love you. You have blessed me with your kindness and your love, and I can never repay you. I only hope that you can take this gift and cherish it as much as I cherish you. I want you to marry me, 'Mione. I want to start a family with you, so that we can ensure that love is something that a Malfoy is entitled to, for years and years to come. The prophecy, of course, has put a cramp in my planning, but when this new war is over? I will propose to you again, and I'll do it right this time. Until then, wear this ring for me. It is one of a set of two, and I have the other. I have worn it since the day I fell in love with you. There was always a rumor around my family as to what these rings do, but I do not know the truth. I love you, Hermione, always. No matter what trials we must face, no matter how long this journey takes, I will always love you.**_

'_**Yours,'**_

'_**Draco Malfoy.'**_

Sighing, I twisted the ring around my finger a few more times. "And the decision rests on you," I whispered to the empty air. "I will find you, Draco Malfoy. They will not take you away from me. We will see this through, and…" I choked on my words, the tears rising to my eyes. A new war? I barely survived the first one! "I love you, Draco Malfoy. You are my light." I felt as though a hand pressed itself against my shoulder, but when I turned to look, there was no one there. Rain started to pound against the windows, and I sighed, losing myself in another memory.

"_Ms. Granger?" Dumbledore was standing at the end of the table I had taken to studying at._

"_Yes, Professor?" I asked, looking up from the book on healing charms that I was reading. He passed me a note with a somber expression on his face._

"_You will leave tomorrow night."_

Pulling the note from the messenger bag beside me, I pondered the meaning of the sudden upheaval. Dumbledore had demanded that I be waiting for the train the moment curfew began. He had seemed solemn, depressed. The note had only three words written on it.

_The Leaky Cauldron_

I had no idea what it meant, but as the train pulled into King's Cross, I had a feeling I was about to find out.

* * *

A/N: Hello! I have returned from a VERY long hiatus to bring you the sequel to Finding My Voice. This is "Stopping Nowhere" and I hope you like it! 

Chapter 2 Preview:  
_"...something about the entire 'mission' I was going on screamed "wear all black!". So, I did._

I felt like a mysterious woman in a spy movie."


	2. The Aftermath

Chapter 2/./ The Aftermath

Platform 9 ¾ was empty, as I assumed it usually was during the school year. Still, it somehow felt desolate and dreary, as though something had happened here that was yet to be known. Remembering the crowds that had formed on this barrier, families watching their children leave, the place seemed too dark for such happy times. I shook my head, breaking myself from my daze.

Watching the train speed away, I straightened my black ensemble. I had worn a turtleneck because it was a dreary morning, but something about the entire 'mission' I was going on screamed "wear all black!". So, I did.

I felt like a mysterious woman in a spy movie.

I carefully stepped through the barrier and into King's Cross. There were barely any muggles around, thankfully, so no one saw me. Getting my bearings and setting off for the Leaky Cauldron, I wondered what this had to do with finding Draco. Would Draco be waiting for me at the Leaky Cauldron? With this thought strengthening me, I sped up. Draco would be there, I decided. He had to be.

The whole town was shrouded in a deep fog. I couldn't catch sight of the Leaky Cauldron until I was on top of it. The sight that greeted me as I stepped in front of the Leaky Cauldron took my breath away. Destruction. The foundation and most of the walls (except for the front one) were still standing, meaning the entrance to Diagon Alley was still safe. But the inside was destroyed. A few chairs still stood, one in the midst of the rubble, and one with a cracked cauldron sitting on it. There were broken boards and glass strewn everywhere. The walls held heavy cracks and scorch marks.

I sank onto the chair in the middle, surveying the damage. There was nothing to be seen here. No people, no real clues.

And Draco was not here. I crossed my arms, tossing my hair back over my shoulders and out of my face. _What now?_ I thought petulantly._What now? _

"Oi! Miss Granger?" I stood quickly, turning to face the voice that was calling to me. My hand pulled my wand on instinct. It took me a moment to recognize the face the my wand was threatening.

"Mr. Ollivander?"

"Yes, girl, now put that wand away. You should be at school, it isn't safe here."

"What happened?" I asked, sheepishly putting my wand back into a hidden pocket on my skirt. "This place looks like hell!"

"And hell it's been through," he said, sighing. He sounded every bit as old as he looked. "Let's go into Diagon Alley," he whispered suddenly, looking around suspiciously. "It's not safe for us out here." I followed the man through the rubble, casting a sharp look around myself. There was no one about, not even a muggle. There was nothing but the deep, rolling fog..

When we were tucked away safely into his shop in Diagon Alley, he looked at me strangely. "Why aren't you at school, Miss Granger?"

"I'm looking for… someone who went missing. Can you tell me what happened to the Leaky Cauldron?"

"It was only last night. They say there were werewolves, and not just a couple. Rumor has it there were at least 10 of them. And then, the strangest thing, vampires showed up. Scores of 'em. It's just rumor, but I hear it was a pretty nasty fight. Mortal enemies, they are."

"Just rumor?" I asked, confused. "Weren't you here?"

"Nope, I was off at a wand-making convention. Only got back the morning after the chaos."

"I see. I've never seen a vampire before. What can you tell me about them?"

"Ah, not much myself. I was never very interested in their kind- bloodsucking bastards. My grandpa was murdered by the lot of them. Never really wanted much to do with their kind afterwards. You should stay away from 'em too, and those werewolves, if you know what's good for ya."

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Ollivander. You wouldn't happen to have heard anything about Draco Malfoy, by any chance?" He gave me a sharp look.

"No, I have not."

"Thanks, anyway," I replied, disappointed. "I'll see you later."

As I was leaving, however, he called me back. "I only just remembered! I did hear something about a man who looked like Draco Malfoy, hovering around the Leaky Cauldron in the aftermath of the fight, looking like he was searching for something. Couldn't've been Malfoy, though, he had dark hair."

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Ollivander!" I exclaimed, running out of the store. Not much of a lead, but one none the less. I lost enthusiasm, however, as I headed back towards the Leaky Cauldron, completely ignoring Mr. Ollivander's cryptic warning. I heard a rummaging sound behind me as I got closer to the Leaky Cauldron, but ignored it as rats and whatnot. The fog that had plagued the streets outside had come into Diagon Alley as well. The cobblestone path was nearly invisible beneath my feet. The strange sound came from behind me again, but closer, as though it were following me. I pulled my wand, turning, but there was nothing behind me but the dense fog. I moved towards the sound cautiously, hoping the fog would be a decent cover. There- the sound again. I eased up to it, and then-

"Petrificus Totalus!"

It was a rat.

I sighed, leaving Diagon Alley. Among the rubble that had once been the Leaky Cauldron, wondering what exactly had happened to Draco Malfoy, I sat down heavily on a broken chair, disheartened. The chair wobbled beneath me, but I took no notice of it. Not until, of course, it broke beneath me and I was splayed out on the floor, my elbows and my pride bruised. My vantage point, though, had changed. Aha! I saw it. Beneath a small pile of broken pottery and another broken chair, was a piece of parchment, but not just any parchment.

It bore the Malfoy seal.

* * *

A/N:_ Chapter 2! Sorry it took so very long, my muses abandoned me again. Hope you all like this chapter! Until next time... _

In case you're noticing some strange differences from the last time you read this chapter, it has officially been remastered. I'm working on remastering them all to a higher standard in the following week, and then continue writing. Keep Reading!


	3. A Shadow, A Storm, A Darkening Sky

**Chapter 3/./ A Shadow, A Storm, A Darkening Sky**

_An advertisement for traveling from Dover to Paris by ferry._

I spent the night in a run-down muggle hotel near the ruins of the Leaky Cauldron. I puzzled for hours over what could possibly be waiting for me in Paris. Was Draco there?

I had the feeling that the guessing games were just beginning.

I woke early the next morning, and headed down to a local bookstore, true to form. I found every single book I could about Paris and skimmed them quickly. Hours had passed before me, and I had no idea. I did not stop my reading until I opened one particularly dusty book about legends of Paris and a small piece of paper fell out.

_Take the train to Dover._

The streets of muggle London teemed full with people as I hurried through the masses, pulling my dark sunglasses over my eyes. I had let the time get away from me, and it was well beyond midday. I watched the people pass by me as I hurried towards the train station. The sky was growing darker, the sun eerily less bright. The rolling fog remained throughout the city, but I instinctively knew it had nothing to do with the weather. The muggles seemed to have the same uneasy feeling I did. They scurried along, hurrying to their destinations with worry in their eyes. I wondered, not for the first time, just how bad this was going to get.

I found myself at the station arriving just in time for the last train out of London going to Dover.

"I need a one-way ticket to Dover, please." The teenager behind the desk, obviously bored, looked up from her nails at me and smacked her chewing gum.

"How many bags do you have?"

"Oh. Well, just one carry-on." She gave me a strange look.

"Alright… Here's your ticket. You'd better hurry- they're boarding the last train right now." I solemnly thanked her and hurried towards the train.

I had no luggage. I had nowhere to stay once I got to Paris. I began to realize that I was abandoning my previous rational self for an impulsive impostor. All will be well, I thought to myself. Just get to Paris and then you will know.

I was beginning to hate traveling by train. A girl with a large green mohawk sat beside me on the way to Dover. She seemed loaded with an arsenal of ridiculously smelly foods and sodas. She turned up her music way too loud, and I sighed, shutting the book I was trying to read. I was continuously jabbed in the stomach as I was trying to watch the English countryside go by. When I turned, I realized that it was only her spiky jewelry and, despite her terribly loud music, she had fallen asleep.

It was definitely a relief to get off that train.

I had never traveled by ferry before, despite countless family vacations to France. I thought that, had circumstances been different, I would have acted like a kid in a candy shop, much like the children on the boat. The line to get on the boat was terribly long, but I imagined that muggle schools had only recently been let out for spring vacations.

After the ferry had set off, I went up to the upper deck, looking out over the dark waters. The air had taken on a distinct chill and the sky was black with the impending storm. I had heard the captain remark to his crew, "I just want to get us to Calais before this thing hits."

This… thing… But fear had no purpose for me. I learned a long time ago that fear will only impede progress. Standing atop the ferry, with the wind blowing my hair all about, I was not afraid. When I looked to the right and saw a figure in shadow, watching me.. No, I wasn't afraid then either.

I wasn't afraid until the shadowed figure had disappeared upon a second look.

I had now perched myself in a seat in a relatively empty section of the train to Paris, opening the book I had bought.

"Um… Excuse me, m'am, but is this seat taken?" said a black-haired girl standing before me. She smiled and I couldn't help but smile back.

"No, not at all. Feel free to sit here."

"Oh, that's swell," she remarked gaily as she sat down and placed her bag under the chair. "I was terrified you were going to be French, and I was going to have to butcher that beautiful language again." I laughed.

"No, just another traveler to the beautiful city." She grinned at me, and I felt strangely at ease.

"What takes you there?"

I stopped, for a second, looking out the window at the French countryside passing us by. Now that was some question.

"I'm looking for something I lost."

"Aha." She seemed to realize I was being vague. "Well, I'm going to go to an opera!"

"Oh, that sounds like a wonderful thing. It was always my dream as a young girl to see the opera."

"Why don't you come with me? The man who sold me my ticket gave me two, on accident. And then the strangest thing happened!" Her voice had taken on a dramatic, theatrical tone. She looked around, and then whispered solemnly, "He disappeared."

"Did he?" I cocked an eyebrow, giving her a disbelieving look. I knew, though, that the likelihood of such an occurrence was not slim.

"Oh, yeah. I never saw him again. So, do you want to go?"

"Well, sure. If you're sure you want to give me that ticket."

"It's yours!" She grinned and suddenly, for no apparent reason, a chill went down my spine.

She dug the ticket out of her purse and handed one to me. Upon examination, the front was absolutely normal. The back, however…

_Go to the Opera._

_Do not leave.  
_

* * *

_A/N: **Remastered.** _I'm back! I am so terribly sorry for the incredibly long wait- sometimes life happens. It was a struggle to get back into the rhythm of this story, but hopefully you guys won't mind too much. The next chapter is basically seeping out of my pores at the moment- it will be a lot more eventful, promise! I had intended to abandon this story, because although I simply adore it, I had run out of steam for it. However, the sheer amount of reviews, and alerts, and favorite story/author emails I'm getting, even after the story hasn't been updated in a year... 

I love you guys. :D

Chapter 4 preview:  
_I don't know if anyone noticed besides me, but there were shadows on stage. Wait, no...  
There were shadows everywhere. When I suddenly found myself alone with them, I cursed.  
I __**knew**__ I should've brought my flashlight._

_  
_


	4. What Dark Time Is Coming

**Chapter 4 /./ What Dark Time Is Coming**

The shadow of a man slid across the wall. I moved closer to Alana, the girl I had met on the train, being careful not to alert her of any suspicion I had. We were exiting the metro station, only a few short blocks away from the Opera Bastille. The air was full of the excited sounds of French youth and the delicious smell of a bakery we passed on the street. Alana looked excited, but the wonderful city only left me wishing for more peaceful days.

Alana was an Irish girl, slightly younger than I. She had come to Paris to live; it had recently been found that, though her parents had been long deceased, they owned a small flat by the Eiffel Tower that they had left to Alana before they passed away. She had bought the opera tickets from a shady man in the train station to Paris, moments before she had encountered me.

I was beginning to doubt the existence of coincidences.

We entered the Opera Bastille in a crowd of people who were apparently attending the same show as we were, La Femme Sans Ombre. It was not long before we had found our seats and the house lights darkened and eventually turned off. The silent room did nothing to release the pressure on my nerves.

"Hermione," Alana whispered, her bright blue eyes shining in the dark.

"Yes, Alana?"

"This may seem a tad strange, but I feel as though..."

"As though what?"

"Almost as though we're being watched."

I started to speak to alleviate her worries, half-truths and lies though it may have been, but at just that time the stage curtain opened and the auditorium burst into light. She smiled at me, obviously forgetting her concerns. I attempted a weak smile back, which inevitably turned into a grimace.

By intermission, it seemed stunningly appropriate to me. The woman without a shadow.

I don't know if anyone noticed besides me, but there were shadows on stage the whole time. Wait, no...

As I looked around, there were shadows everywhere.

I**knew** I should've brought my flashlight.

It was just as everyone began to settle in for the second half of the show. A sudden explosion, reminiscent of the Weasley's Wizard firecrackers, set the stage alight with colors and fire, and the room shot into chaos. People began to scream, and I grabbed Alana's arm as she jumped up to race about with the masses.

"Alana." Her eyes were terribly frightened and confused. "Listen to me."

"What is it? Hurry! We must-"

"Listen to me. If you never see me again, forget my face. Forget my name. We never met."

"What are you-"

"Take care of yourself, Alana."

I pushed her into the stream of people running and hoped she could keep up. Instead of following, I turned and went in the opposite direction of the crowd, leaping onto stage and following a shadow figure ducking behind the curtains.

A flash of blonde caught my eye just before I passed behind the curtains.

Narcissa Malfoy? But when I turned back for a second look, there was no one who remained seated within the auditorium.

I shook my head. There was no time to debate whether Draco's mother was watching me. I nimbly creeped backstage, was looking for a door in the gloom. Looking for some evidence of what was happening.

Suddenly, the lights went out. I stopped moving, willing my eyes to adjust quickly to the darkness. I was only aware of movement. The air was full of the sound of an unearthly scuttling, too many rapid movements. They seemed to be everywhere.

I stepped to the right, praying that there would be nothing blocking my path. Just as quickly as the lights had vanished, however, they came back on.

Vampires. Everywhere. I can't say how I knew, in that instant, that every last one was a vampire, but the fangs may have had something to do with it. I turned my head to look for an escape, but was met only by the sight of even more vampires. Harsh laughter came from my right side; I turned to look.

"Miss Granger, at last. We have been waiting for you, dear."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting," I spat, although I hadn't managed to catch a glimpse of who was talking. They all seemed to tower over me.

"We will forgive you for now." One vampire, towards the back, appeared to be speaking, and I moved towards him. "Oh no, my sweet. We will have play time soon enough."

They began to close in on me. I'm not sure if I screamed as darkness closed in around the edges of my vision and then shrouded it completely.

I hope I shattered their ear drums.

* * *

A/N: Here we are again! I know this is a little rocky, but we're moving into solid ground and I've got some great ideas. Stick with me! I will not abandon this story. I intend to see it through, once and for all.  
Until Next Time:

_"Hermione!" He tried to scream, but his voice was ragged from failed attempts. "Hermione..."  
_


	5. Down, Down, Down

**Chapter 5 /./ Down, Down, Down**

It was dark. The fog before my eyes was nearly complete, but for the last light of afternoon trickled in through the bars of the small window near the ceiling. The darkness, though, fell like a curtain and the light did not touch him.

He shivered in the corner, pulling his knees closer to his chest. His gray eyes were rimmed with red from crying, and he looked at me with fear, as though he was waiting for something.

"Draco…" I tried step towards him, but I found that I could not move. The cell was so small that I was merely inches from him, but I could not move to touch him. He began to sob, as though he were expecting something terrible to happen. I closed my eyes, and though the pain of his agony spread through me like wildfire, I did not cry.

"Hermione?" I opened my eyes and the scene was changed. The light was different now; not the orange light of the dying sun in the evening, but the white light of the moon at its peak. He reached out towards me, but he could not touch me. "Oh, forgiving angel, return to me. I know you're there, why won't you speak to me?

"I know you're there…."

I opened my eyes, as the sound of his panting filled the room, and it was changed again.

The air began to heat. The room felt stifling small, too small, too close. I was but a mouse in the corner, but he filled the room. Panic filled his eyes as the heat intensified. The yellow light of morning streamed in and touched his pale skin. As he began to scream, I wondered why I could not touch him, comfort him. He began to jerk, to itch his skin as though he needed to break free. How could he live?

"Hermione!" He tried to scream, but his voice was ragged from failed attempts. "Hermione..." The air was hot with his panting and he squirmed. He jerked and twisted and it pained me to watch.

"Don't look at me like that!" I tried to look around, to see who he was talking to, but there was no one. "I didn't ask for this. I never asked for this.. I never… I never…

"Hermione! Oh, Hermione… Hermione…" The sound of his feeble sobs filled the darkness as it folded in around me.

* * *

A/N: More to come! 

Until Next Time:

_"There must be some way to escape." I muttered, looking in vain at the solid cement walls. It was only by chance that I noticed a prick of light at the very bottom of one of the walls.  
"Oh, great," Damien remarked sarcastically. "You've find a hole the size of a pinprick. We shall now escape by squeezing our way through it. You'll have to be a bit more intelligent than that." _


	6. The Ragged Edge Of Silence

**Chapter 6 \.\ The Ragged Edge of Silence**

"Oh, God, would you wake up already?"

The darkness in and around me was complete, but there was a stinging sensation, thrusting its way into my senses. I groaned, rolling onto my side. I opened my eyes just the slightest bit. But for a few lonely beams of light from the top of the cell, the darkness remained complete. I turned onto my back and made to sit up, but found that any and all motion gave me the strangest sensation that vomiting was not exactly distasteful.

"Stop moaning, you lazy nit." I sat up, ignoring the pain. The room I was in was small and the floor beneath me was covered in dirt and grime. In fact, there may not have been any more floor than just tough earth. The walls, only so far apart as to allow me to barely lay unhindered, were made of cold cement and light entered only through a tiny window at the very top of the cell. I watched the light, reminded of another cell in another time. I fought to recall vague memories of my blonde-haired boy, squirming away from the light and crying out for me...

A low cough reminded me of the presence of another in the room. There, sitting in the shadow, was a tall boy. His long white face was marred with dirt and bruises, but his dark blue eyes were clear and cognizant, and his coal black hair reminiscent of another boy I had known. I squinted my eyes, looking for other signs to show that perhaps he was that boy, the boy who reminded me of a past not more peaceful than my present. He rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to say something caustic, when he was interrupted by a clanging to my right.

A bowl of water was shoved through a rectangular hole on the wall.

It struck me suddenly that I was very, very thirsty. And also that he must be too, what with the stifling heat of the room. The way it was suddenly smaller than it had seemed before. There was only one small bowl of water. What if he took it all for himself? What if...?

I looked from him to the bowl and back, a quick, paranoid glance. He growled at me, his eyes opening wide in understanding.

"Listen, girl, I don't know what you're feeling, but if I were you..."

No, no, I thought. He's trying to distract me. I lunged for the bowl of water, bringing my face so close as to submerge the entire thing in the bowl. I head nearly put my tongue out to lap at the water when he, having leaped through the air without notice as I was preoccupied with the precious water, crashed into my side, throwing the water bowl flying and the two of us into the unforgiving cement wall.

"What-What- What are you doing?!" I cried, beginning to weep at the loss of the water. He pulled my arms back behind me, restraining me.

"Listen to me. It is not what it seems. Look at it!" I growled. All that remained was the water, **my** water, evaporating on the hard, dusty floor. As I looked on, though, the image changed. It cracked, fractured, and suddenly I realized I was actually staring at a puddle of dusty blood congealing on the cold stone floor. I gasped, and he released my arms, moving to resume his previous post across the small room.

"What... what was that?"

"The hallucination was due to a drug, introduced into your system by way of a powder they sprinkled up your nose the day they brought you here. I had no idea you could (or would) fight it off so quickly. The last one damn near took my arm off trying to get at it. Succeeded, at least, in getting to the blood."

"What was the blood for?"

"The blood was to make you one of them."

"Them?"

"Vampires, girl. Don't you know anything?" He gave me a withering look and went back to his careful perusal of the cement wall. I shook my head, feeling that, for once, I really didn't know everything. I recalled the day I met Ollivander in the remains of the Leaky Cauldron and the conversation we had had there. Oh, there were a great deal of things I needed to know, and intended to find out. I straightened my back, preparing myself for interrogations as I had done in the past.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, aren't we nosy?" I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms, suppressing a wince at the pain in my ribs from the sudden impact with a wall.

"Who are you?" I repeated. "I do not suffer fools, and if you cooperate... I'll... I'll break us free of this cell." I was bluffing. He knew it. I knew it.

"Alright, girl. But don't forget you promised." He winked, making a mockery of me. "I am none other than the infamous Damien Reinbold, former heir to the throne, and renegade vampire."

"You're a vampire?" Instinctively, I shied away from him, further into the corner I found myself pressed into. He laughed sardonically, revealing pearly white teeth and telltale canines.

"Honestly, girl. Do you really think that, locked in this cage, I pose a threat to you? If I intended to kill the likes of you, I wouldn't be locked in this cell for being a renegade and unfit to succeed his Majesty, the King."

"The King?"

"Apparently, vampires never grew out of the monarchy of old. It's not a true monarchy, as we are all lorded over by-" He was unable to continue, as a shrill squealing sound filled the air. It was almost too much for me to bear. The sound grew louder and louder, more urgent, until suddenly it was gone. The air seemed to reverberate with the echoes. Before I could ask the obvious question, he answered it for me. "Apparently another of the inmates was not as lucky as you, to break the hallucination before they reached the fluid. It seems that the light caught them before the guards did."

"It's true then, that vampires can't go into sunlight?" I asked. I had always assumed that it, like so many other fairy tales about magic I learned as a child, had been an untruth.

"Oh no. We can go into sunlight just as well as any other being. It is only when the change is first beginning that it is crucial for one to stay out of the sunlight. Suppose it's the light touching the darkness as it entwines itself around one's soul."

"Does it always happen like that, with that... sound?"

"Well, what would you do if your soul was being burnt alive within you?" I shuddered. "Now, live up to your promise, girl." I sighed, casting a dark look at him, but he just grinned wolfishly. I stood, carefully avoiding anything that promised to be painful. Looking around, I felt a keen sense of despair.

"There must be some way to escape." I muttered, looking in vain at the solid cement walls. It was only by chance that I noticed a prick of light at the very bottom of one of the walls. I knelt down and pressed my hand against the hole. Yes! A breeze. Noticing my attentions, Damien moved towards me and spotted my discovery.

"Oh, great," Damien remarked sarcastically. "You've find a hole the size of a pinprick. We shall now escape by squeezing our way through it." He gave me a long suffering look. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to be a bit more intelligent than that." He resumed his position in the corner, staring at the wall as if it held all the answers to life and death.

I stood, frustrated. I kicked at the dust on the floor. What had the prophecy said about new powers, huh? I didn't even know where my wand was. Checking my jeans pocket, dirty and ripped though they were, produced no results. I nearly growled in my growing frustration. I closed my eyes, pressing my forehead and my hands against the cold wall to regain some calm. I could practically see the sunlight trickling through the window at the top of the wall, the warm honey color of sunset, the last rays of sunshine. I could feel the breeze in my hair, in my hands, beneath my fingers.

"Girl, what are you doing? Girl... What the hell is that?!"

I opened my eyes at his exclamation, only to see the golden light that had begun to amass at my hands pulsate.

I jumped back as the wall disintegrated before our very eyes, without so much as a crash to announce it's departure. Damien cast a sharp look at me, shielding his eyes from the harsh light compared to the previous darkness of our chamber.

"Where did you learn that, girl?"

I shook my head, taking in the vast forest before us, and the cold breeze that marked the beginning of night. I stepped towards the open space, and slipped on a piece of wood beneath my feet. My head made a nice crack as it struck the ground, and Damien found it greatly amusing.I rubbed the back of my head, giving him a dirty look for laughing, and realized that I had found my wand on the floor. When he finally sobered, I took one last look at the deep patch of red on the earthen floor, and decided there was no time to waste. I thought of Draco, of the last image fading of the vivid dream I had dreamt of him in my slumber. Of the shrill noises of sunlight touching a changing vampire...

"I'm leaving tonight." He gave me an appraising look.

"I think I recognize this place," he said, taking a long look around. "We'll go to a town nearby, through the woods. We'll have to be careful, if you want to go at night."

I laughed sardonically. Careful? I was beginning to think there was really no such thing.

* * *

A/N: Back Again! Chapter 6 complete. Longest one yet. I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am. 

I'd like to add that I own neither that characters of JK Rowling's invention nor the song titles which are lyrics from October Project songs.

Until Next Time:

_"So. You're really going to take the bint at her word, then? After she lied to you, stole from you, and tried to rip your hair out of your head?" I sighed and did not look at him.  
"Yes, Damien."  
"Well. And I had thought **I **was intelligent, taking on a girl who's been marked by vampires and werewolves alike and nearly got me killed three times in one day. No, no, you definitely win."_


End file.
